Following the deal with NVIDIA for GeForce NOW, Microsoft has signed a similar ten-year deal with Boosteroid, an independent provides of PC games via the cloud, bringing all of its games to the service – including Activision Blizzard’s, should the $68.7 billion deal pass the regulators’ approval. Obviously, this is part of Microsoft’s efforts to appease the likes of UK CMA and US FTC, who remain most critical of the acquisition while the European Union is reportedly about to wave it through.
Phil Spencer, CEO of Gaming at Microsoft, stated:
We believe in the power of games to bring people together. That’s why Xbox is committed to give everyone more ways to play their favorite games across devices. Bringing Xbox PC games to Boosteroid members, including Activision Blizzard titles such as ‘Call of Duty’ once the deal closes, is yet another step in realizing that vision.
Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President at Microsoft, added:
This partnership builds on the $430 million in technology and financial assistance we have provided Ukraine since Russia’s unlawful invasion, and it exemplifies the steps we will continue to take to support Ukraine’s 160,000 software developers. It also adds to our recent agreements with Nintendo and NVIDIA, making even more clear to regulators that our acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make ‘Call of Duty’ available on far more devices than before.
Indeed, Boosteroid is located in Ukraine, with offices in Kyiv and Kharkiv. Two of the offices in Kharkiv have been hit by Russian missile attacks, but the company has continued its growth undeterred and recently announced upcoming support for Mac, Chromebooks, Android set-top boxes, and LG televisions. Even Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice PM and Minister of Digital Transformation, applauded the deal. For his part, Boosteroid CEO Ivan Shvaichenko said:
Boosteroid shares Microsoft’s vision of bringing games to as many people, places, and platforms as possible. It has long been our goal to provide gamers with an opportunity to enjoy their favorite titles on any device close at hand. Today’s announcement is yet another step in this direction. Also, with our development team based in Ukraine, we appreciate Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine, and we will be working together on an initiative supporting our local game development community to invest further in the economic recovery of the country.
Boosteroid has over 4 million users. You can learn more about the service on the official website.
